Japanese Utility Model Publication No. H06-7188 discloses a known vehicle door handle device. This known vehicle door handle device includes a handgrip having a rotation center rotatably fitted into a frame on one end portion and a lock mechanism contacting the one end portion in the direction for inserting the handgrip into the frame. The movement of the handgrip in the inserting direction into the frame is restricted by the lock mechanism. Accordingly, the lock mechanism prevents the dislocation of the one end portion from the frame and the dropping or dislocation of the handgrip from the frame.
However, because the lock mechanism is required in addition to the frame and the handgrip in order to restrict the movement of the handgrip, the number of parts is increased and the structure is relatively complicated. Further, by virtue of assembly errors with respect to assembling the lock mechanism to the frame, the handgrip may have excessive play and may thus generate a chattering noise relative to the frame.
A need thus exists for a vehicle door handle device which is able to restrict excessive play of the handgrip relative to the frame without the same degree of complexity in structure as the known device described above.